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DCCEEW is inviting permit holders, industry bodies and other stakeholders to share feedback to help enhance the implementation of the RAC permit scheme.
In the wake of recent reports highlighting a shortage of RAC technicians in Australia, the ARC says it is addressing these challenges.
Australian business Cold Logic has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to construct and install cold and cool rooms for the first batch of three Hunter class frigates. The Adelaide-based refrigeration specialist will partner with UK company Ernest West & Beynon (EWB), leveraging EWB’s experience in supplying into the Type 26 program, the reference design for […]
The WorldSkills Australia National Championships were held in Melbourne over the weekend, with 470 competitors from around Australia vying for medals in different areas of vocational education and training (VET). The aim of the event is to get young Australians excited about skills and trades and growing Australia’s skills culture. It’s also about building the […]
WorldSkills Australia is holding its 2023 national championships from August 17–19 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Held every two years, the competition sees the top skills talent from all over the country compete over four days. Across more than 60 skills – including refrigeration and air conditioning – participants will battle it out […]
Australia’s HVAC&R workforce may not be as old as previously believed, with new figures released by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) showing that the dominant age group for refrigerant handling licence (RHL) holders is 30–39 years old. ARC CEO Glenn Evans says the figures challenge the concept of an ageing workforce, since more than half […]
Refrigeration and air conditioning apprentices are now eligible for additional financial support thanks to the trade’s reclassification as a “clean energy” job in the updated Australian Apprenticeships Priority List. The priority list identifies occupations for the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System, which provides support payments for both apprentices and their employers. The latest priority list also […]
After signs that air conditioning and refrigeration technicians in New South Wales could be excluded from key work when the new mechanical services licence goes live in March 2023, the government has confirmed that the scope of work for air conditioning and refrigeration technicians will not change with the introduction of the new licence. It […]
The WorldSkills international competition for Refigeration and Air Conditioning has been run and won in Nuremberg, Germany, as part of the giant Chillventa HVAC&R trade exhibition. Sixteen young technicians from around the world competed in the event as part of the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition. The event was organised after the international competition planned […]
A new campaign promoting careers in HVAC&R is being rolled out by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC), targeting students at almost 3,000 secondary schools across Australia. Each school’s careers adviser will receive a package explaining the careers the HVAC&R industry can offer, and how students can make a difference. ARC chairman Michael Bennett says the […]
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has partnered with Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) to produce a brochure that promotes the value of always using a licensed RAC technician. As well as raising awareness of the industry, it is intended to help improve recovery rates […]
As part of the STC Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs Apprentice program, Superior Training Centre is holding an employer and student meet-up event on World Refrigeration Day, June 26. The goal is to highlight hidden trades such as refrigeration and air conditioning and metal fabrication, and also to promote more mainstream electrical trades. RACCA, Beijer Ref and […]
As part of the electrotechnology training package, new materials have been developed for assessing and reporting on smoke control features, and the Technical Advisory Committee is seeking feedback. The unit, Inspect, test and repair fire and smoke control features of mechanical services systems, has been updated to address the skills and knowledge requirements for assessment […]
Since the start of the COVID pandemic, the entire HVAC&R industry has had to adapt to keep working. For those in the training sector, that has proved especially difficult. Robert Parsonson is General Manager of Superior Training Centre (STC), based in Sydney. He says conditions in 2021 were nothing if not challenging. “Trade courses normally […]
TAFE Queensland refrigeration and air conditioning apprentice Natasha Kirchner has been chosen as the Construction Skills Queensland Tradeswoman of the Year at the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Awards in Brisbane. Held annually, the NAWIC Awards showcase the achievements and industry advancements of women, men and organisations in the construction industry. A third-year […]
Despite COVID-19 restrictions and a surprise call-up to the competition, Cameron Harrison has brought home another gold medal for Queensland in the WorldSkills Australia National Championships. Harrison was halfway through his final block of TAFE in his Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration when lead lecturer Carl Balke tapped him on the shoulder. The […]
Refrigeration and air conditioning tradesperson Lauren Campbell has taken out the top state award for Apprentice of the Year at the 2021 Queensland Training Awards, which this year celebrates 60 years of excellence in training. Campbell, from Manly West in Brisbane, was named as the winner of the Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year at […]
The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is urging workers to submit their applications for occupational and site supervisor licences ahead of the January 1, 2022 deadline – and to take advantage of the alternative pathway arrangements that finish this week, on September 30. According to the QBCC, assessment officers have seen an increase in […]
A recent Mathematics and Trade Workshop run by the NSW Department of Education, RACCA and Daikin introduced high school students in Sydney to the refrigeration and air conditioning trades. Forty students from Year 9, 10 and 11 at James Busby High School, Liverpool Boys High School, Ashcroft Boys High School and Miller Technology High School […]
On July 1, the Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) scheme took effect. The new system has been hailed as a way of cutting red tape and allowing Australians to work across borders without having to apply and pay for additional occupational licences, if they are already licenced for the work in their home state or territory. […]